Regional Directorate of the Service for Internal Affairs and Complaints (SHÇBA) in Tirana has put in handcuffs this Wednesday an inspector identified as Levzat Veselaj, 47 years old, who is accused of corruption and taking bribes.

Action by the SHCBA came after the denunciation made by citizen with the initials E.B., against the inspector in question, acting Deputy Specialist of Criminal Police at the Police Station no. 6 in Tirana.

According to the official announcement of the SHÇBA, continuous evidence has been collected that this person used his position to take bribes in order for the police to 'turn their eyes blind' in front of the illegal constructions.

In addition, the procedural materials related to the criminal activity committed by the detained citizen were forwarded to the Prosecution at the Court of First Instance in Tirana.

However, this arrest has come just days after the arrest of RENEA operative Rael Luli, who ran a cocaine distribution network in the Albanian capital.

“The Regional Directorate of the Service for Internal Affairs Tirana in cooperation with the anti-corruption structures in the Local Police Directorate of Tirana, based on the report of the citizen EB, on August 25, 2021, detained Inspector LV, 47 years old, acting Deputy Specialist of Criminal Police at the Police Commissariat no. 6 in Tirana, for the criminal offenses of ‘Abuse of Duty’ and ‘Passive Corruption’, provided by Articles 248 and 259 of the Criminal Code.

Based on the facts and evidence administered during the preliminary investigations conducted, the police officer, LV, during a continuous period of time, has performed active actions, in abuse of his organic function, demanding and receiving illegal monetary amounts, in exchange of the promise for inaction of police structures to stop illegality in the field of illegal construction.

Given this case, the Ministry of Interior, State Police and SHÇBA, expresses gratitude to all citizens who have provided cooperation to identify and crack down on illegalities, and remain ready at any time to welcome citizens' reports or denunciations of corruption cases that may be committed by special police officers in the exercise of their duties”, stressed the SHÇBA.